


Wakandan Fire Ants

by flawedamythyst



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Ants, M/M, Post-Captain America: Civil War (Movie)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-03
Updated: 2017-05-03
Packaged: 2018-10-27 13:21:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 823
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10809843
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flawedamythyst/pseuds/flawedamythyst
Summary: Scott was just happily making s'mores, and then Clint and Bucky had to turn up and dump a moral conundrum on him.Inspired by 1electricpirate.





	Wakandan Fire Ants

Wakanda had some really fucking cool species of ant. Giant ones that built nests several metres high, smaller ones with blue-striped abdomens and, Scott’s personal favourites, fire ants that actually spat fire like tiny miniature dragons. So damn cool.

Scott got a bunch of them arranged in a circle so that when they all spat fire at once it was like a gas burner and he could toast a marshmallow on it. He settled in one of the smaller courtyards in T’challa’s palace with the fixings of s’mores and started working on eating until he felt sick.

“Where the hell did you get marshmallows?” asked Clint, coming out with Bucky behind him, which meant Steve was caught up in one of the endless meetings that T’Challa kept pulling him into. Ever since Bucky had come out of cryofreeze and the Wakandan scientists had done whatever they’d done to protect him from future brainwashing attempts, he and Clint had become the kind of friends that resulted in trouble every time they hung out together. If Steve was busy, Bucky was always with Clint, these days.

“I got a friend to send them to me,” said Scott. “Got a whole care package of food from home.” He held out the packet. “S’more?”

“Hell yeah,” said Clint, taking two and passing one to Bucky. “Haven’t had these since the circus.”

“I can beat you on that,” said Bucky, crouching down next to the ring of ants to hold his marshmallow above them. Right, metal hand; he didn't need a skewer. “I haven’t had them since the thirties.”

“Yeah, yeah, oldtimer,” said Clint, fitting his marshmallow on a skewer and holding it above the flame. “I get it; you’re old. Now, shut up and pass me a cracker.”

Bucky did so. “Never did it over ants before, that one’s new.”

“Aren’t they the best?” said Scott. “I’m thinking about taking a colony back with me for when I take Cassie on camp outs.”

“Aren’t they gonna get bored and wander off after a while?” asked Clint.

Scott transferred his satisfyingly gooey marshmallow to a cracker. “Nah,” he said. “They’ll stay as long as I tell them to.”

Bucky’s shoulders tensed. “They don’t get to say no?”

Scott blinked at him. “They’re ants,” he said. “I tell them what to do, and they do it.” He tapped his earpiece. “Something to do with pheromones, Hank tried to explain it but I got lost.”

Clint and Bucky looked at each other, then down at the ants. “You’re completely controlling them?” asked Clint. “Like, mind control?”

Bucky’s jaw clenched.

“No, no, no,” said Scott. “C’mon, it’s not like that. They’re _ants_. They don’t have minds, they’re just insects.”

“Loki used to talk about humans as if they were insects,” said Clint, quietly.

“Hydra didn’t think I had a mind,” added Bucky, and stood up. “I don’t think I want any more.”

“Yeah, I’m done,” said Clint, setting his skewer down. “Maybe you should think about letting these guys get back to their friends and families, and just get a candle next time.”

“They don’t have families,” said Scott with frustration. “They’re _ants_.”

“Not right now they’re not,” said Bucky. “Right now they’re just your slaves.”

He and Clint headed off, leaving Scott to stare after them. He glanced back at the ants still obediently standing in a circle and sighed. “Yeah, okay guys, that’s all,” he said, and they all scuttled away. Something about being compared to Hydra had put him off marshmallows for now.

He headed back inside the wing T’Challa had set them up with, thinking that at least there was nothing morally dubious about the Cheetos Luis had sent over with the marshmallows.

He was passing Clint’s bedroom when he heard sniggering from inside and paused. He moved close to the door just in time to hear Bucky say, “You think he’s noticed they’re missing yet?”

Clint snorted. “No way he’s gonna notice anything until after he’s stopped freaking out that he’s an evil supervillain to the ants.”

Scott abruptly realised that when he’d gathered up his stuff from the courtyard, it hadn’t included a bag of marshmallows. Those utter bastards. 

“You don’t think that maybe we went too far?” asked Bucky.

“Definitely not,” said Clint. “C’mon, how else was I gonna get to taste melted marshmallow in your mouth? Or on your skin?”

“Yeah, okay, definitely worth it,” said Bucky in a low voice.

There was the distinctive sound of a kiss and wow, okay, Scott hadn’t seen that coming. Good for them though, finding love in exile, and after everything Bucky had gone through.

Didn’t make the theft of his marshmallows any less irritating, though. He tucked his earpiece back in and concentrated on calling all the ants in the area to come crawling into Clint’s room and make themselves at home in his bed. Good luck having marshmallow-flavoured sex with that lot in there.


End file.
